Jonathan Villar Joins the Cubs as Their Newest Jack of All Trades

Seiya Suzuki is rightfully the headline grabber, however the Cubs stayed within the information on Thursday by agreeing to phrases with infielder Jonathan Villar on a one-year deal value $6 million. Villar spent the 2021 season with the Mets, hitting .249/.322/.416 in 142 video games for two.1 WAR and taking part in second base, third base, and shortstop for the injury-riddled franchise. That 2021 season represented a colossal comeback from his poor exhibiting in 2020, when his energy disappeared and he completed with a lackluster .232/.301/.292 line.

Versatility is a kind of issues that’s exhausting to place a exact determine on, however having a participant similar to Villar in your roster is principally like giving your self a 27- or 28-man roster. He received’t remind anybody of Ozzie Smith at quick, however that’s hardly the purpose with a participant together with his skillset. No matter infielder you lose to a pulled hammy or a sprained elbow, Villar represents a 20/20-capable participant who can man the place. He’s performed a lot much less typically within the outfield, however there’s no specific purpose to suppose he’d be an issue on the market; he’s definitely quick sufficient to play even heart subject, and he stole 40 bases as lately as 2019. Being versatile isn’t one of many parameters that ZiPS seems for when making comps, nevertheless it nonetheless warms my coronary heart to see Tony Phillips, the Platonic preferrred of a super-sub, exhibiting up excessive in Villar’s comp checklist at fifteenth. If he’s 80% of Phillips, the retooling Cubs should be overjoyed with how their $6 million was spent.

With that versatility in thoughts, I’m doing one thing a bit completely different with Villar: I’m going to undertaking him in every single place he might see taking part in time. I’m even instructing ZiPS to think about him as a primary baseman despite the fact that he’s solely performed a single skilled recreation there; he’s significantly taller than the scrappy David Eckstein archetype.

Besides at first base, the place his bat would actually undergo towards the competitors, $6 million might in all probability justify Villar on the six different positions listed right here, even when every place was the one one which he performed.

The Cubs might particularly use such a versatile participant, given a few of their roster questions. Nick Madrigal, acquired for Craig Kimbrel and anticipated to be the beginning second baseman, is coming off lacking greater than half a season with a torn hamstring and can doubtless be eased again in with a while at DH. Nico Hoerner, the staff’s potential shortstop of the long run, has performed much more at second the final couple of years, and his efficiency has been in every single place. Andrelton Simmons, introduced in to be the veteran bridge to the staff’s subsequent shortstop, has seen his offense collapse from its 2017–18 peak. Patrick Wisdom at third got here out of nowhere final season and is already on the unsuitable facet of 30. What you get out of Jason Heyward or Ian Happ is nearly a guess at this level. Villar represents a viable Plan B or Plan C in any respect these positions, in a manner that David Bote can’t fairly handle.

That mixture of flexibility and talent is much less widespread amongst infielders than you’d suppose. Solely 71 males in baseball historical past performed at the least 10% of their video games at every of second base, shortstop, and third base and gathered 3,000 plate appearances within the majors. Villar is within the prime 20 in each residence runs and OPS (and ZiPS tasks one other 66 homers for him over the remainder of his profession, which might put him within the prime 10).

José Ramírez and Javier Báez are examples of two guys you don’t consider as conventional utility gamers, however I’m fantastic seeing them right here; that skill nonetheless exists even when taking part in a single place solely and offers their groups some long-term flexibility when setting up their rosters.

With every certainly one of their strikes, the Cubs sneak simply that a lot nearer to rivalry. Final week, ZiPS had Chicago with an 11.1% chance to make the playoffs. Since then, the staff has added Villar, Suzuki, Simmons, and David Robertson. On the similar time, the Reds have cleaned house to the extent that their roster resembles a serving plate of Buffalo wings at 11:45 PM on Tremendous Bowl Sunday. This has crept the Cubs to a fraction of a win beneath 80 in ZiPS, with a 27.0% likelihood of constructing the playoffs.

Villar doesn’t make the Cubs playoff favorites, however he makes the staff higher and extra playoff related. After Chicago’s 2020 season, I believe most followers would take that.